The state chronicle., 1887-05-05
ON .sSOLAR HEAT.''
A Learned and Instructive Lecture by
Prof. j. w. Gore.

Especial Cor. STATE CHRONICLE.
CHAPEL HILL, N. c., May 3, 18s7.-The
students of the University and the citizens
of the village have been specially favored
since last September with series Of most
entertaining and valuable lectures on a
variety of subjects. The Shakespeare Club
has met twice a month for the discussion
of Shakespeare's Dramas, the Mitchell So
ciety has met monthly for scientific dis
cusslon, and once month public lecture
has been given in the University Chapel
by a member of the Faculty or some emf
nent specialist The first lecture in the
course was given by DR.. Henry E. Shep-
herd and the last was given April Both by
Prof. J. W. Gore. 1t is no disparagement
to the others to say that Prof. Cores lee
ture on Solar Heat was eminent among
them all for breadth of treatment, profun-
dty of thought and clear cut logical anal
ysis. 1t was thoroughly scientific, com
manding the attention of an intelligent
audience by its forcible presentation of
wonderful facts and its logical discussion
of conflicting theories.
poets and Philosophers have We'd with
each other in admiring the sun; in glori-
flying its beauty, its majesty, its power
and its generosity. In the absence of a
knowledge of the true God, what object
in the universe before the glorious God of
Day could claim the grateful alteration Of
intelligent man! How wonderful in beauty,
now kind and generous in influence, how
Infinite in pOwer!
We count thy beams great Majesty of Day
If not the soul, the regent of the world.
First-born of Heaven and only less than
God"
whence are thy beams, O Sun thy ever
lasting light :,
This was the question discussed by the
lecturer, the source of solar heat. Every
body knows that the sun heats us, but
what heats the SUM "Quis custodiet ipsos
custodes9'
The sun sends out pretty big supply
of heat, or else the lecturer was trying to
set at naught the marvels of history and
literature by faint suggestion of the
possibilities of scientific statement "a
lump of coal as large as the earth would
last the sun about fifteen hours" The
Chatham coal-tields wOud-dO what, They
wouldn't even make a spark. The lecturer
explained and discussed in detail the three
most plausible theories of the source
whence the sun derives It's enormous heat
the meteoric theory, the contraction theo-
ry, and the ray force" theory The char
acter of the discussion precludes a synop-
sis. Nor would | do the lecturer the in
justice 10 attempt one ne last tHeOfv
is new, and like everything else new was
started in Chicago. Prof Gore applied
various tests to its correctness and pro
nounced it more acceptable than the other
| theories Hurrah for North An4erica The
Old Worid may Sneer at Us, but we are
rapidly showing what we can do. Chicago
has explained the source of solar heat.
Does anybody suppose that Cincinnati will
sit still and see Chicago advertise herself
in that way, even writing her name on the
sun! Where is Durham?
Prof. Gore has established at the Uni
versity a we'll earned reputation for scien-
tific zeal, accurate and profound attain
ment and forcible presentations nor is he
less remarkable for cool Judgment and
practical sense. His lecture exhibited all
these qualities. 1t was a discussion, emi
nently scientific and profound, yet practi
cal and full of common sense